During our couple years farming in Mooi River we planted over 100 young trees. Each had a little fence to prevent porcupines and buck gnawing at them. And in winter they were covered in hessian to beat the frost, and as it is also the dry season, watered daily.
A business is like a tree. What you see above the ground needs to be supported by just as much underneath. In the early years it needs to be nurtured, fed all the right ingredients. Later, to keep growing, to remain sustainable, investment must continue in stuff nobody sees – “soft” issues like protecting the culture and addressing often ignored hygiene issues.
The ancient Greeks told us a society becomes great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit. There’s a Chinese saying that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. My Christmas wish is that Biznews helps plant many trees in the year ahead by remaining independent, sharing insights and helping grow the knowledge of our community. For us, there can be no greater gift.
